Metal plating



Feb. 2 5, 1930. c. L. PEIRCE, JR

METAL FLATING Original Filed May 27. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet wlrlvsssss 4.wwzaw Feb. 25, 1930.

WITNESSES c; L. PEIRCE, JR

METAL PLATING Original Filed May 27. 1922 g /fiw W Wm,

2 Sheets -Sheet 2 INVE/VTOK Patented 7 Feb. 25, 1930 v CHARLES Lg PEIBCE, JR OE PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA METALT'PLATING Original applicationfiled 'May 27,1922,

This invention relates to a new and improved apparatus for metal coatingfor such g articles as bolts, rods, screws, changers,

brackets, etc., and-1s fl-CllVlSlOIl of my pre 5 viously filedapplicationSerial No.

. 564,273, filed May 27,1922.

' An object of the invention is to produce a a number of separatearticles may be simulnew and improved apparatus for metalcoating whichmaybe employed in connection with galvanlzing and) s milar processeswhere it is important to minimize the ex penseofthemetalcoatingoperation. l

A further object is to'produce an improved 1 apparatus formetal coatingso constructed '15 andarranged as to insure a complete anduniform-coating on each coated article and which, at the same time,avoids waste ofthe coating material. gAfurther object is 'to'produceanapparatus formetal coatingfwhich is simple and cheap tomanufacture andassemble, rugged in construction andrapid in operation. I

These and other objects are attained by means of this invention, oneembodiment of which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying andforming a part hereof,in-which Figure'l is a diagrammatic viewillustrating anapparatusfconstructed ln accordancewith i I rack. Theseparate articles are preferably one forin ofthis invention. 1

' Fig. Q isan enlarged view of a support rack 'shofwnin connection withassociated appa ratus.

'85 Fig. 4 is a side elevation'of the rack shown is a plan view of therack shown in in connection with means for simultaneously raising it offarotating element'and decreas- -1ng its speed of rotation.

Articles to be galvanized are ordinarily f submerged'in a bath of moltengalvanizing metal jand are allowed to remain-"in the bath unti l 'thecoating metal adheres theretojby alloyingv with the 'surface metalthereof.

. The article is then removed from the bath and someeifort is made todislodge excess coating metal. therefrom; I After the excess 1'50 ployedfor galvanizing and removing excess Serial No. 564,273. Divided and thisapplication filed June 27, 1925. Serial No. 39,979.

coating material from the coated articles, but so far'as I know, none ofthe machines now in use is entirely satisfactory, since they do not giveuniform results in connection with relatively large articles such asscrews, bolts, hooks, hangers, brackets and the like.

One of the features of my invention is that taneously coated and thensimultaneously subjected to centrifugal action in such a way that theexcess metal on all parts of each article is subjected to substantiallythe same dislodging force with the result that each article is coatedwith a thin and uniform covering of the coating metal. Another featureof my invention is that the articles are almost immediately acceleratedto the desired rotational speedafter they are removed from the bath ofmolten metal and consequently are quickly subjected to sufficientcentrifugal force to' dislodge the excess coating'material before it hascooled sufficiently to resist the dislodging force. I v

In carrying out my invention, I.empl0y a frameor rack 6 which isprovided with separate means, such as apertures or a recess for holdingeach article to be coated in a fixedposition with relation to the axisof the so'mounted on the frame that their major axes extendsubstantially-parallel to the axis of theframe.

The frame, with the articles in place on it, is then immersed in a bathof molten metal shown diagrammatically at 5 in Fig. 1'. After thearticles have remained in the bath a sufficient period to insure propercoating,- the rack, with the articles in place on'it, is removed'fromthebath and is moved into clutching engagement with a continuously rotatingspindle in such a way that it is almost instantaneously accelerated tothe speed oftherotating spindle and is causedto rotate about its axis ata speed suificient to dislodge the excess coating material from eacharticle on" the rack. While thea-rti'cles are subjected to this whirlingaction of the spindle, they are retained in fixed relation to the axisof rotation of the rack and are so located on the rack that thedislodging force occasioned by the rotationis substanment, a uniformcoating of all the articles is CH bu revolve with the spindle.

this, the cone performs to-some extentgthe obtained and the coating oneach article is substantially uniform over the-entire article,

As shown in the drawings, the rack '63 for the articles to be coatedconsists of two spaced plates 7, each provided 'withja number ofarticle-receiving apertures 8 arranged syminetricallyaround the axis ofthe rack; The. plates are located one abovethe other andeachaapertu-re-ti in the upper plate is aligned with a similar aperturein the lower plate. 1 he plates aresecured to and are spaced by ahanger?) which'is bent to form a loop-10 adapted to be'engaged by asupporting hook 13. The hook 13'is preferably a ball-bearing swivelhook, assh-own, or is otherwise so constructed that the rack may turn'freely while supported by it. Any suitable means may be employed forlifting :and movingthe' rack but, as illustrated in Fig.1, I employtrolley 14 operating on a track 15 and a tackle l'fi secured to thetrolley for raising and lowering the rack.- 1

The articles to be ocated are located in the recessesaround the axis ofthe-rack as shown iii-Figs. :1,'2-.and 4. The rack is then engaged bythe hook 13 and is moved to position over abathof molten metal. Thetackle 16 and the trolley 14 may be-employedinso moving the rack and thetackle may be employed in lowering therack into the bath of metal.

'- After the articles to be coated have been subjected to the bath, therack is again lifted sothat the articles clear the surface of the bathand the rack is moved by means of the trolleyandthe supportingtackle toposition above a continually rotating spindle 1'7. As shownrin Fig. 1;the spindle is located a convenient position between the'bath '5 and atank 18 adapted to contain o water. The

spindlestands vertically and is provided, at

itsupperend with a cone 19'. which isrigid-ly secured theretoandlisadapted to engage the 7 rank.- .For this purpose the two plates ofgtherac-kare provided with axially aligned'aper 'tures of such relativediameters that their edges will simultaneously engage the cone 1 9 astherack is [moved downwardly over it.

The engagement 'of the cone 19iwith the die 17 and [consequently causesthe rack to In'addit-ion -to function of "oneelement of afriction'clutch, whereas the contacting edgesof the rack-perform thegfunction of theIco-operatin'g elementfof sucha clutchwith the resultthat o the rack is quickly accelerated to the ?speed of thespindle. Therotation of the rack and [the articles-carried it disledges{theexeessnmjetal from the articles In order to pret en-it this ,hot -meta-lbeingthrown about,

I employ. a safety shield 21 which may be lowered from a point above sothat it surrounds the rack while it is being rotated on the spindle. Asshown,the shield may be supported by means of ropes and pulleys from thetrolley 15.

In the apparatus illustrated; the spindle is driven by a motor 22through the agency of beveledgears 23. The spindle is mounted A in astationary form 24 and" is preferably -prov-ided with a weighted wheelsuch as a fly wheel 25 for the purpose ofabsorbing the shock when therack (is mounted on or' removedfrom the cone 19. As shown in Fig.

1, the frame is provided with a stationary table 26, on whichtheiprotectii' escreen may rest during the whirling'o'f the rack. i

stationary pivot and is bifurcated atone end for the purpose ofstraddling-the cone:

The forks ofthe bifurcated end are .pivotally secured to a ring'QS which:is adapted to be i moved upwardly by the lever so that its upper edgeengages andl'ifts the rack 6 from the cone. :It will be apparentthattheengagement :of the ring with'the rack'willim-' part a brakingaction'to the rackjand will thereforeltend. to stop the rotating motionofthe rack as soon as the rack moves out of engagement with the cone. 7

- Afterthe excess metal has been {removed fromthe coated articlescarried by the rack the rack with ,the articles in place on it isdropped into the bath. 18 of the cooling water. The book '13 anditsassociated su porting device may be j employed in moving the rackfrom the spindle 17 and into the bath 18. i Where the brake -28islnotemployed 'the'support and the articlesare plunged into a batho-f'cooling'liquid for the purpose of checking c'lesj 7 While I havedescribed-and illustrated but the rotation and cooling the farti oneembodiment of my invention, it will be 7 apparent that various changes,additions,

omissions and substitutions may be made in Ii the apparatus illustratedwithout departing .Nhat I claim as my'inveirtionisz from the spiritandscape-0f the invention 7 a set forth bythe appended claims.rack-operatively couples the rack to-the spin $1. In an apparatus for'coa ting artieles, a

rotary s'pindleohavi-ng circular engaging faces, frame for securelyholding a plu; wrality-o-f articles t ojbe coated and adapted to 'berotated by -said spindle,'fan overhead structure including a'swiveltori-holding said frame movingit from a coating-bathint-o engagementwith said c rcular faces 0f said spindle so as tosubjeet the coatedarltij cles to centrifugahforce for 'riislo'dging ex cess coatingmaterial 5anl-a-shield adapted to surround said fra-me and supportedfor' 20 ing a conical clutch face, a frame for securely holding articlesto be coated and havvertical'movement from said overhead structure. V

2 In an apparatus for coating articles, a rotary spindle, a frame forsecurely holding t plurality of articles to be coated and 7 adapted toberotated byengagement with said spindle, and means for raising saidframe'away from said spindle and stopping "the rotation of said frame.

3. In an apparatus for coating articles, a

rotary spindle, a frame for securely holding a plurality of. articles tobe coated and adapted to be rotated by engagement With j said spindle, aring movably mounted adj a- :ent sai d spindle and means for moving saidrmg into engagement with sa1d frame so as to lift thesame away from saidspindle and v 7 stop the rotation of said frame.

4. In an apparatus for coating articles, a "otary spindle, having atapered end forming perforations adapted to receive and fric- 1 tionallyengage the conical face of said spindle.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 26th dayof June,

CHARLES L. PEIRCE, JR.

